Research Paradigm
The research problem has been chosen because it would provide better insight into the techniques used by science teachers and the relevancy and effectiveness of these techniques. It is important to learn about the strategies employed by the science teachers because science is a subject that is losing attraction, as has been revealed from the literature review. The review also reveals some strategies proposed by researchers who have conducted previous research in this field. Therefore, the research question formulated is justified as many researchers have been done on this but very few have concentrated on studying the strategies used by the teachers teaching middle-level students Bell (2016). Management, using pedagogical strategies to enhance critical thinking and nurture scientific temperament of the students studying STEM has been least focused in previous studies. In this context as well, the research problem formulated is justified.
The research would help unravel the limitations in the strategies used by the current middle-year science teachers and provide innovative set of strategies that could enhance critical thinking. Further, it would allow the science teachers to develop strategies that could cater to the needs of every student irrespective of their intellectual capabilities. The research is significant also because, as revealed from the literature review, it would help in finding the prime causes of the decreasing performance levels of students of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) stream.
For the purpose of the study, Constructivism as the research paradigm has been chosen. According to this paradigm, people construct knowledge socially in the research process and researchers use the lived experiences of the people to conduct the research. The research undertaken in this context uses the lived experiences of the teachers. Constructivist paradigm is used for the present research, as it would record the experiences of the middle-year science teachers and analyze the pedagogical strategies used by them.
The Research Approach chosen for conducting the research will be deductive. The deductive approach to research is the fundamental form of valid reasoning. It begins with a general statement and scrutinizes the probable ways to reach a particular and logical conclusion. The deductive approach, as opposed to the inductive approach, aims at testing an already present hypothesis and does not attempt to generate any new theory. The deductive approach has been chosen research because it attempts to shed light on the existing pedagogical strategies used by science teachers. As Singh (2015) remarks, the deductive approach to research is an effective method because it “follows the course of logic precisely”.
Research Approach
Qualitative case study will be used for the research on the chosen topic. The researcher will analyze the case studies related to teaching STEM in science classrooms. It will focus on the pedagogical strategies used by the science teachers for enhancing students’ critical thinking and nurturing scientific mentality. Qualitative case study falls under the descriptive research design.
The descriptive research design is mostly used to observe and describe the “behavior of a subject without influencing it in any way” (Sutton and Austin 2015). It can also be added that descriptive research design provides answer to the question “what is” and is similar to other designs like comparative descriptive design, cross-sectional designs and longitudinal designs (Cirt.gcu.edu 2018).
Systematic literature review will be used as the data collection method for the current research. The method is appropriate for the current research as it involves the reviewing of existing literature on pedagogical strategies employed by science teachers. The systematic literature review as data collection method also addresses the research question formulated for the study. The review of literature in a systematic manner will bring forth the strategies used by middle-year science teachers specifically in science classrooms. According to Cope (2014), the secondary method of data collection is an effective tool especially in the age of technological advancement as researchers would be able to access gamut of sources through the internet. Secondary method of data collection is effective for the present research as it deals with the collection of already available information and sources, which is in line with the research problem Johnston (2017).
To analyze the data collected through systematic literature review, a content analysis technique will be used. Content analysis is a technique used to replicate and infer textual material by decoding and interpreting it (Braun and Clarke 2014). For the present research, an analysis of other researches relating to the topic will be done. Apart from the patterns discussed in the literature review, other patterns across the field will be analyzed. Government websites, scientific magazines and journals specific to the Australian context will be researched for the analysis.
Research reliability refers to the level to which equivalent solutions can be attained using the similar instruments multiple times. To put it simply, the reliability of research is linked to the level of the generation of same results by other researchers utilizing similar research methods (Heale and Twycross 2015). The present research addresses reliability by using methodologies that have been previously used by other researchers to focus on pedagogical strategies employed by science teachers. Reliability of a research is also addressed by examining the level of its preciseness and conciseness. In this context, the present is precise and concise because it focuses particularly on the science teachers teaching middle-year students and the pedagogical strategies they use to augment critical thinking and cultivate scientific temperament.
Research Design
Validity pertains to the degree to which a particular research fulfills the requirements of the scientific research method to generate the findings. Ivankova and Plano Clark (2018) find validity as a “compulsory requirement for all types of studies”. Validity can be of different types including internal validity and external validity. A research paper’s validity is examined by the relevancy of the research problem, the methodologies used and the findings generated. The present research is valid because it addresses all the requirements of the scientific research method and uses methodologies that align with the research problem.
Ethics, in common terms, defines the moral principles or rules that govern the rights and wrongs. In research, ethical considerations are crucial as these ensure that the researcher does not involve in illegal practices like plagiarism and unauthorized use of sources amongst others. Many reasons pertain to the need for ethics in research. First, ethics in research prohibit researchers from “fabricating, falsifying or misrepresenting research data” and hence, minimize errors and promote truth (Resnik 2018). Secondly, ethical considerations encourage transparency while collaborating with others. Theethical norms like copyright, patenting policies and authorship help researchers protect their intellectual property while promoting collaboration at the same time. Third, ethics in research ensures the accountability of the researchers to the common public. Fourth, the ethical norms also ensure that researchers do not harm the subjects intentionally or unintentionally.
The present research abides by all the ethical considerations that needed to be followed while conducting the research.
The researcher does not indulge in any unethical practice during the research. The proposed research topic involves thorough analysis of the strategies used by science teachers for teaching STEM to middle-year students and hence, it conducts secondary research. The researcher will not have to conduct any survey or prepare questionnaires because the data collection method chosen is secondary data collection method, which will be analyzed through thematic analysis.
It is also important to state that while conducting secondary research and reviewing the literature, the researcher did not make use of any unauthorized or illicit sources to fulfill the requirements. The articles that have been used to do the literature review have due credits given to the original authors.
Further, it must also be stated that the researcher will use proper copyrighted materials and government websites to conduct thematic analysis. All the sources that will be used will be duly credited to the original authors. The researcher will not commit any plagiarism while using other resources.
Data Collection Techniques
While preparing for the research, the researcher came across several uncertainties that need to be addressed. Further, the researcher also feels that feedback on the areas where there doubts should be given.
The first question or doubt that the researcher has is about the use of the descriptive research design, the case study that will be used for the present study. The researcher found this design as apt for the study but has doubts whether exploratory research design could also have been used. Initial researching on the topic conducted by the researcher found that many scholars have used quantitative research for similar topic. The researcher thus desires to know which method is better.
The second uncertainty the researcher has is regarding the data analysis method, which has been chosen as content analysis. The researcher expects to have feedback on the use of this analysis type as the researcher has no experience in this. Content analysis is a part of secondary research and involves analysis of already produced works from different scholars and since the topic is has not been researched deeply, it might be difficult to find genuine sources. The researcher thus expects feedback as to how this could be effectively done.
The third uncertainty is regarding the reliability and validity that must be addressed. The researcher expects feedback in this section as well because there is much doubt regarding the proper way to address both. Reliability and validity are important parts of a research and the researcher does not want to commit any mistake in this section. therefore, feedback for this section is highly desired.
References:
Bell, D., 2016. The reality of STEM education, design and technology teachers’ perceptions: A phenomenographic study. International Journal of psychology and Design Education, 26(1), pp.61-79.
Braun, V. and Clarke, V., 2014. What can “thematic analysis” offer health and wellbeing researchers?. International journal of qualitative studies on health and well-being, 9.
Cirt.gcu.edu (2018). Quantitative Approaches – Center for Innovation in Research and Teaching. [online] Cirt.gcu.edu. Available at: https://cirt.gcu.edu/research/developmentresources/research_ready/quantresearch/approaches [Accessed 6 Sep. 2018].
Cope, D.G., 2014, January. Methods and meanings: credibility and trustworthiness of qualitative research. In Oncology nursing forum (Vol. 41, No. 1).
Heale, R. and Twycross, A., 2015. Validity and reliability in quantitative studies. Evidence-based nursing, pp.ebnurs-2015.
Ivankova, N.V. and Plano Clark, V.L., 2018. Teaching mixed methods research: using a socio-ecological framework as a pedagogical approach for addressing the complexity of the field. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, pp.1-16.
Johnston, M.P., 2017. Secondary data analysis: A method of which the time has come. Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Libraries, 3(3), pp.619-626.
Resnik, D. (2018). What is Ethics in Research & Why is it Important?. [online] National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Available at: https://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/resources/bioethics/whatis/index.cfm [Accessed 6 Sep. 2018].
Singh, K.D., 2015. Creating your own qualitative research approach: Selecting, integrating and operationalizing philosophy, methodology and methods. Vision, 19(2), pp.132-146.
Sutton, J. and Austin, Z., 2015. Qualitative research: data collection, analysis, and management. The Canadian journal of hospital pharmacy, 68(3), p.226.
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